Lost in the Dark
by AniLovesMe
Summary: When Ally loses her parents, Bruce Wayne becomes her new guardian. He must help her overcome the arduous challenges and guilt of losing a loved one. Desperately searching for answers, they find that the truth becomes more and more unfathomable.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm trying a new type of story. I've had this idea in my head for a while, and now I've finally written it down. It is about a girl (her name is Ally, well, Alaina, but I really like Ally and no it is not the same one from my other stories) whose parent's die and Bruce ends up being her guardian. After this she turns into a troubled teen and it is about her struggle through accepting everything that has happened to her and her search for answers about her parent's death. The truth of the matter will shock them all... and hopefully you too! It is also about her and Bruce's relationship (NOT LOVEY-DOVEY). This is my first angsty/super serious fic, and I would definitely appreciate some reviews and feedback about it. This first chapter is short but it will get better over time. **

**Please enjoy and REVIEW!!**

*****  
**

It was only an accident.

The night was clear and crisp; the goose bumps on her skin more from excitement rather than cold. Her quick breathing grew into small clouds, swiftly disappearing a second later. Air rushed in through the open windows and whipped her hair around her head, hiding her smile. The road was empty ahead, and she tapped the shoulder in front of her.

"Come on!" She urged. "We're going to be late if we don't hurry."

The car accelerated. Trees and signs were speeding by, nearly invisible. Something bright caught her eye and she turned to look ahead.

Bright, twin lights were growing closer with each second.

"Look out!"

Tires screamed against the pavement, the smell of burning rubber filled her nose. The light was blindingly bright and dangerously close. Her head rang with a loud, continuous horn as her world spun out of control.

It was only an accident.

But accidents can kill.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here it is, Chapter Two!!! Thank you SO much to all the subscribers, favoriters, and especially reviewers!! Your thoughts and comments meant so much to me! Thank you for waiting this long for the next chapter. You see, I had this chapter all written, and then I decided I didn't like it, so I re-wrote IT and this is what I came up with. (That's why it took so long.) I hope you enjoy it and PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~Ani  
**

*******

She felt the light before she saw it.

She squinted before she slowly opened her eyes.

"Well hey there!" Came a cheerful voice. She looked over and saw a lady dressed in white standing next to her bed. "It's wonderful to see you awake. We weren't sure you were going to make it."

She stared at the woman before taking a look around the room. She realized she was in a hospital room. Monitors were beeping; wires were coming out of a machine. She followed the wires with her eyes all the way to her arm and realized the wires were actually IV's, dripping fluid into her bloodstream. She took a deep breath, alarmed.

"It's alright." The nurse said in a soothing voice. She knew the girl would be frightened. "You're in a safe place."

***

Doctor James Moreno sat in front of her, his eyes fixated on hers. She hadn't spoken to anyone since she'd awakened, and the doctor wanted to find out who she was. She didn't look more than seventeen years old. Her eyes were wondering about the room, looking at the tray of food a nurse had brought in a few minutes earlier.

"Sweetie, look at me." He said.

Her eyes were on him now.

"Can you tell me your name?"

She looked down; hesitated a moment. She took a small breath before she found her voice. It was ragged and quiet.

"A… Alaina." She whispered.

"Thank you," the doctor said, giving her a small smile. "What's your last name?"

Again, she hesitated, and it seemed to take a bit of effort for her to speak. She whispered again.

"Maldero."

"Alaina Maldero." He said to a nurse standing behind him and she quickly walked out of the room.

"Okay, Alaina. Can you follow this light with your eyes?" He picked up a small flashlight and clicked it on. He moved it back and forth in front of her. She followed for a moment before twin lights that were too bright flashed in her thoughts and tires screeched as the lights came upon her...

She screamed and violently turned away, covering her eyes with her hands. The doctor walked to her bedside and gently pulled her hands away from her eyes. She was trembling as he tried to sooth her. Breathing hard, tears filled her eyes.

"Where… Where are my parents?" She asked, the question finally occurring to her.

The doctor replaced his concerned look with a somber one. She shook her head, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Honey…" His tone was sad; sympathetic.

She didn't want to accept what she knew that look meant.

"No." She said. "They were… we were just in the car together!"

The doctor somberly shook his head.

"Alaina, that was two days ago. You got into a car accident. Your parents, John and Laura…" He saw the horrified look in her eyes and was reminded how much he loathed this part of his job. He felt like he was responsible for ruining this young girl's childhood and her life. "We couldn't…"

Alaina was furiously breathing now, trying to hold back her sobs.

"They didn't make it to the hospital."

"No…" She staggered. She shook her head again. "No, you're wrong!"

"I'm so sorry…"

She was screaming now, sobbing mixed with screaming, sobs taking over and then stealing her breath.

It wasn't true.

This _couldn't_ be true.

This couldn't be happening.

Helpless, the doctor stared at the floor. When a few minutes passed and Alaina hadn't ceased her sobbing, hadn't demanded answers to questions about what had happened, he realized that the best thing to do at the moment was to let her be.

He silently left the room, her sobbing and the haunted look in her eyes echoing in his mind the rest of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is chapter three! Sorry it took me a while. I was debating whether I should include certain things in this chapter or not, but I've decided to save that for later. I hope you enjoy it! The next one is coming up within the next week or so. Please tell me what you think of this one.**

**~Ani  
**

Doctor Moreno lifted his head when his chief nurse, Michelle Harley, walked into the room with a clipboard in her hands.

"What did you find?" He asked.

Ever since he'd learned the young girl's name, the one whose parent's had died in a car accident, he'd been trying to track down any members of her family. He and his staff had been working for half of the night, but nothing had shown up.

"Still no record of any other family members, Doctor. But we managed to obtain a copy of her parents' will."

"And?" He asked, standing up from the desk chair he'd been sitting in. She handed him the clipboard. He raised his eyebrows. "Well..." he said, surprise filling his voice. "I'd better go let her know." He was relieved to know that when the time came, he wouldn't have to release the girl to an orphanage. "You're absolutely sure this is correct?"

"It's the official file." Nurse Harley replied. He nodded and headed down the hospital halls, clipboard in hand.

***

The doctor slowly walked into the girl's room. Dead silence was his only greeting. She was on the bed, her back against the pillow, her eyes barely glancing up when he entered. He wasn't surprised that she was still awake at the late hour. She stared at her lap; a tray of food stood untouched next to her bed. She'd been like this ever since he'd told her the news that her parent's hadn't made it. She wasn't talking, wasn't responding to the staff, nor did she eat. All she did was sit there. He sat down on a stool next to her bed. She didn't look up.

"Alaina?" He said.

No response. He decided to continue.

"My staff and I have searched through many records and files, but we can't find any family members to release or place you with."

She glanced at him, but then continued staring at her hands in her lap. Tears were forming in her eyes once again, although he didn't think that her eyes had been completely dry since the night she'd awakened.

"However, we did obtain a copy of your parents' will. It states here that in case of…" he hesitated. "In case of fatality, there's a name listed for us to contact in order to place you in their custody."

This time she fully looked up at him. She swallowed.

"Who?" She asked, her voice ragged.

The doctor looked once again at the papers in his hand, then at her, and uttered a single name.

"Bruce Wayne."

**So there you go! And I realize this chapter is quite short, but I'll try to make it up with a longer chapter next time. And I just wanted to say THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and subscribed!! It means so much to me to know that you are enjoying my writing! Please keep it up!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Woah, new record! Next chapter up the next night! Woo! Haha, anyway, here's chapter four. Aren't you happy I updated so quickly? ;) Thanks for the feedback on chapter three, I appreciated it! I hope you like this one, too, and please let me know what you think of it!**

**~Ani  
**

Bruce Wayne slipped on his suit jacket, buttoned it, and looked in the mirror. He ran a hand over his hair, then stepped back, re-checking his image one last time. There was an important stock meeting at Wayne Enterprises today; he was dreading it, but he figured he might as well show up looking professional.

The phone rang and he walked over to his bedroom nightstand. The ringing abruptly stopped before he picked it up, and he knew Alfred had answered the call. He picked up his briefcase and headed down the stairs. He grabbed his coat from the downstairs closet and headed to the front door.

"Master Bruce!"

He paused. Alfred came into the room holding the telephone.

"What is it, Alfred?"

"Phone call for you, sir." He said, holding out the phone.

"Tell them I'll call them back. I have to leave for the stock meeting."

Alfred shook his head and Bruce saw sadness in his eyes.

"You'll want to take this."

Bruce nodded, put down his briefcase, and accepted the phone. "This is Bruce Wayne."

"Hello Mr. Wayne. This is Doctor James Moreno at the Gotham City Emergency Hospital. Are familiar with John and Laura Maldero?"

John and Laura.

Of course he knew them.

He and John had been friends since collage, later becoming business partners. They'd been best friends, before his disappearance to Asia and before Batman. When John married Laura, they'd lost touch after a while; he hadn't seen them in thirteen years.

"Yes, I know them."

"I take it you haven't heard?"

"Heard of what, Dr. Moreno?" Bruce asked.

"Mr. and Mrs. Maldero were killed in a car accident last week."

Bruce froze. He looked down, pinching the bridge of his nose. He sighed.

"I'm sorry." The doctor consoled.

"What's the reason you called?" Bruce asked. What was the point of some random doctor calling him to tell him that his friends had just died?

"They have a daughter."

Bruce remembered the little girl well. The last time he'd seen her had been when she was four years old, at a dinner her parents had attended.

"And?" He asked.

"She is in stable condition here at the hospital, but she has no family members that we can release her to. We've acquired her parents' will, and the name listed as a caretaker in case of fatality is yours."

Bruce remembered the day that the girl had been born. John had asked his best friend to be the godfather of his child.

Bruce had accepted then.

Now, he wasn't so sure.

He hadn't expected John to take him up on that, but then again, he'd never expected there to be a reason to.

He wanted to decline. He didn't want a teenager roaming around and making his life harder than it already was. Then his logic kicked in. It would be dangerous if the girl found out he was Batman. It would endanger her life and she wouldn't be safe. His enemies would try to use her as his weak point.

But he couldn't.

As much as his logic wanted to, his conscience wouldn't allow him. He remembered how close the little girl had been to him and how happy she had made him whenever she was around. She even used to call him "Uncle Bruce".

He knew he owed it to John and Laura to look after their little girl. He would honor their wishes.

"Okay." He said into the phone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Aren't you so proud of me that I'm updating so quickly? ;) Here is chapter five, and I must warn you, there isn't a lot going on here. But I felt that I needed to write a chapter where we see all of Alaina's thoughts and emotions, since I haven't really dug into that yet. But I hope you still enjoy it! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! =) Special thanks to abstractionsofmysoul!! She's my best reviewer! 3  
**

**~Ani**

*****  
**

Alaina slowly fixed her hair in the hospital's bathroom mirror. It had been a week and a half since the doctor had first told her about the man she was going to be released to.

_Bruce Wayne_.

The name seemed familiar. That was what had been bugging her the most – she recognized the name but couldn't remember a thing about the man. She remembered what she had read and seen about him – in newspapers and on television. He was a seemingly depressed billionaire, shut up in his mansion with no one but a butler as company. But she couldn't personally remember how he knew her or her parents.

Nevertheless, she was going home with him today. She wasn't sure if she wanted to, but she hadn't been sure of anything since the accident. Everything had become a blur, a dull routine that held no meaning for her. She'd resorted to silence most of the time, rarely eating. She simply wasn't hungry anymore.

She sighed as tears began to well in her eyes once again. They came randomly and frequently now. It didn't matter what she did, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. She knew what that something was, but there were still moments where she thought this was all a dream; that any minute now she would wake up and go downstairs to see her parents happily having breakfast together and inviting her to join them.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror.

But at moments like this… moments where she was preparing to live with a man she hardly even knew reminded her that she wouldn't even be in this situation if only her parents were alive. It was moments like this that made reality hit her like a brick. She was angry.

Everything was moving forward as if nothing had happened. Everything was moving forward when she so desperately wanted to remain in the past. She couldn't stop what was happening and she couldn't change it. She felt helpless.

She didn't want to move on and she didn't want to forget.

Alaina held her locket tightly in her palm. It was the necklace her parents had given her the winter of last year. She'd been wearing it the night of the accident and the doctor had only recently given it back to her. It'd been charred and dirty, the pictures inside of her and her parents reduced to ash. She'd cleaned it up and wore it day and night; it was the only thing left to remind her of the pleasant moments they'd shared. The government had taken over the rest of her parents' possessions, including the house. There was some money in the bank left to her, but she would only receive it after she turned eighteen.

She slowly picked up her duffle bag and looked at her dismal reflection once more before she walked out the door and headed toward her reluctant new life.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's chapter six. Sorry it took a while. Hope you enjoy, R&R!**

**~Ani  
**

Bruce Wayne paced back and forth next to the front desk of the hospital. The room was bright and quiet, making him anxious. There was a flurry of questions going through his mind. He was rarely nervous in any situation, let alone anxious. As Batman, there was no need to be hesitant about showing his emotions since he was behind a mask. But _Bruce _was another story. This time… this time was different. He was worried and apprehensive, but not for himself. For the girl.

"Alfred," He said to the butler who sat in one of the waiting room chairs. "Do you think I'm making the right decision?"

"Of course, sir. We can't very well let the girl be put out on the street." Alfred stated matter-of-factly.

"No, of course not, I mean…" Bruce hesitated. He ran a hand through his hair. "What if I can't… do this right?" When Alfred looked skeptical, he elaborated. "I don't know anything about teenage girls. I don't know anything about kids at all. What if I… mess up? Are you sure I can do this?"

Alfred gave him a small smile.

"I can guarantee you that you will make mistakes. She will, as well. It's a hard time for her. It is how you get through those mistakes that brings you together."

Bruce sat down in the empty chair next to him, listening intently.

"You are not perfect, sir. But neither is she. I can assure you that you will definitely 'mess up'; both of you will. But it's the struggle to get through and to get past those imperfections that will bring you closer and will ultimately make you family."

Bruce gave his friend a small smile.

"You've got to be the wisest man I know, Alfred."

Alfred smiled and gave a nod. "You'll do fine."

The doctor suddenly walked out of the swinging double doors with a girl behind him. The two men stood, and although the doctor introduced himself and shook his hand, Bruce's eyes went straight to the girl.

She was staring at them both, with eyes full of curiosity and uncertainty, but also anguish and fear. Bruce could tell right away that she didn't know what to make of them.

Silence followed, and the doctor took it upon himself to introduce her.

"This is Alaina Maldero." He said.

Bruce's eyes never left her. This wasn't the little girl that he remembered. Not the little girl that used to play hide and seek in his library and call him "Uncle Bruce". This was a young woman whom he noticed right off the bat was a definitive clone of her mother; but he also saw a young lady that had sorrow etched into her features. She looked lost and lonely. He knew that feeling all too well.

He finally spoke.

"Hi," he said. "My name is Bruce Wayne. I'm your new guardian."

She didn't shake his hand. She hugged herself, looking him over. She was definitely concerned and trying to figure out what kind of person he was just by staring at him. Feeling uncomfortable, he directed her attention elsewhere.

"And this is Alfred."

It worked. Her eyes flickered over to him. He gave her a warm smile. She didn't retaliate.

"Well," the doctor spoke, "I suppose you should be leaving now." He put a hand on Alaina's shoulder. "Take care of yourself."

She looked him in the eye and for a moment Bruce thought she was going to say something. He knew the look in her eyes. She was unsure about going with them. But as Alfred began to head out the door and Bruce followed with a few steps, she shouldered her bag and begrudgingly walked after them, out into a new life, anxious anticipation showing only in her eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Yay! New chapter! I've had this written for a while, but I wasn't sure if I liked it or not... but I can't really think of anything else and I kind of like the way it shows how Bruce sees her inner struggle... Anyway, please enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW! =)**

**~Ani**

Alaina forced herself not to cry.

She _willed _herself not to cry.

Just because she was going to live with some billionaire stranger and his old butler was no reason to cry.

...Except it was.

It was every reason to cry. It was because her parents were _dead_ that she was going to live with the billionaire stranger and his old butler. If her parents hadn't _died_, none of this would be happening.

It made her miss them all the more.

_If only she hadn't…_

She pushed the thought away before she finished it. Desperately fighting back the tears in her eyes, she resorted to looking out the window of the backseat of the car to distract her thoughts. But that was a mistake.

She'd been so preoccupied with the situation; she hadn't realized where they were. They were driving past her neighborhood. Her house had been the one nearest to the street and was easily visible. Immediately her thoughts were torn in two. Part of her wanted to turn away, to not look at all and maybe that would help her forget. But another part of her glued her gaze to the scene. The house was already starting to look worn down; the windows were boarded up and caution tape was wrapped around the house like a rope. Memories flooded into her mind.

Her mother, baking and preparing dinner for the family with the sweetest smile on her face, humming to herself, making Alaina laugh with her quirky tunes as she waltzed around the kitchen.

Her father, coming home from work and giving her a kiss on the top of her forehead. She could still feel him hugging her, how strong and warm his arms were and how safe and loved she felt.

She acknowledged with a sinking heart that she would never get to laugh with her mother again.

She would never get to feel as safe and joyous as she felt when she stood in the arms of her father…

What would happen to the house? Would they tear it down? Would all of her memories be turned to dust and rubble?

Despite her initial will not to cry, she buried her face in her hands as the uncontrollable tears started to flow. Her shoulders shook silently. She didn't want them to see her cry.

She wanted to be strong.

She was trying, but…

Bruce had watched it all from the review mirror in the front passenger seat. He'd seen how her gaze had lingered on the house, watched as her broken heart was torn even more. She was fighting to control herself, but she didn't realize that she was undertaking an impossible feat. He watched her shoulders go up and down as she silently sobbed into her hands.

He set his jaw.

He wanted to help her, to tell her everything was going to be alright and to let her know that she was safe and secure with him. That she wasn't alone.

But he knew that would be of little comfort. Despair could not be comforted with words of wisdom, but with actions of love.


	8. Chapter 8

**FINALLY! This chapter took FOREVER because... well, I didn't really like some of it, so I had to change it, and then I wasn't sure what to write, and then when I finally did figure out what to write I wasn't sure if I liked THAT either... I'm still not sure if I like this or not, but it's probably the best I can do right now. I know most of the chapters haven't really gotten the story going very far, but hopefully this chapter will change that. It's finally kind-of over the beginning hump. Please enjoy and REVIEW!**

**~Ani  
**

They drove for a considerable amount of time, all through which Bruce had observed Alaina nervously watching for cars coming toward them on the narrow two-way road, clutching the handle on the car door and shutting her eyes every time a car passed. He only barely understood why. The news he had watched the night of the call from Doctor Moreno had been scarce, briefly covering the deaths of his friends, and the small bit of information he'd managed to get from the hospital staff gave him reason to believe the crash had been head-on.

Other than the information he'd gathered from his own observations, he knew nothing else about the accident. He'd spoken with the doctor and discovered that Alaina was pretty much in the same predicament. She couldn't recall the initial accident or any of the details, but she had flashbacks every once in a while. It would terrify her and leave her trembling, but she wouldn't tell anyone what she saw.

As they pulled up to the long road leading to his estate, he once again looked into the rear-view mirror.

Alaina was staring out the window, unresponsively taking in the scenic trees and bushes lining the road. She was no longer crying, having dried her tears a few minutes after they had appeared. But as they approached the mansion, her eyes grew wide.

"Here we are, sir." Alfred announced as he drove the car through the entrance gate and parked in front of Wayne Manor. Bruce and Alaina opened their car doors and stepped out, Alaina shutting hers and standing still, staring at the enormous mansion. She wasn't sure what to make of the Gothic-looking architecture, the manor towering and only the tallest tree reaching the same height as the highest point on the roof. Bruce walked over to her and took her bag from her hand, carrying it in his own. He had a feeling that if he had offered to carry it she wouldn't have responded. She looked at him as he shouldered it and he gave her a small smile. She quickly looked away, returning her attention to the house. He tried making conversation.

"I know it's… well, huge." Bruce said. "But it's home. Would you like to see the inside?"

And to his small pleasure, he received the first sign of communication from her.

She nodded.

As they stepped through the massive front door, the grandeur of the mansion became clear to her. They first stepped into the parlor, with marble floors as far as she could see. The open space contained marble columns reaching all the way to the ceiling. Off to the right, a few tables and embroidered couches took up the middle space along with large resting chairs. China shelves and pictures lined the walls and a chandelier hung from the ceiling, lighting the enormity of the room. A vast rug lay to the left, where lounge chairs, another couch, and a coffee table sat together by a giant open window.

"Welcome home." Bruce said with a smile. He led her through and past the parlor, entering a hallway and another living room which held a massive rug, a long, winding couch, and a very large, very expensive-looking television. After introducing this as the living room, he showed her the rest of the enormous house. There were many other rooms and many halls, Bruce narrating the tour the entire time. There was the entertainment room, the dining room, the kitchen, the west wing, the east wing, and the library; the gym, drawing rooms, guest rooms, bedrooms, rooms that seemed to have no specific purpose, and many more that Alaina had lost track of or lost count. When they finally climbed up an immense staircase and Bruce showed her to her bedroom, she honestly didn't know what to expect.

"Here it is." He said, opening the double doors. The room was enormous, much bigger than her old room. The canopy bed was high and queen-sized with a light pink and white comforter, the window large, letting bright sunlight pour into the room. Light pink curtains blew against the white walls. Dressers and shelves lined the walls; full-length mirrors poised next to them. A small hallway led into a master bathroom with marble counter tops and a tiled bath and shower. Another hallway on the other side of the room led to a large walk-in closet, complete with shelves and mirrors.

Bruce stood nervously in the doorway as she explored her new living space. When she was finished, she turned back to him.

"I hope you like it."

She looked down sheepishly. But he understood. He started to back up, taking a few steps toward the door. "I'll let you settle in. You can come find me downstairs it you need anything." She didn't respond. She merely lifted her bag onto the bed. Bruce sighed. He stepped back into the room and walked up to her.

"Look…" He began. She gazed up at him. "I lost my parents when I was eight years old. I may know better than anyone what you're going through." Their eyes locked. He continued with a determined look on his face. "I can help you, but you have to let me."

She stared up at him for a moment, Bruce trying to read her eyes, but she broke her gaze and, without a word, zipped open her bag and began taking things out. He was a little disappointed with her response, but nodded. He turned and stepped out, shutting the doors behind him. Leaning against the wall, he sighed.

As he walked down the stairs, he hoped that with every small encouragement, she would start to heal.

Alaina sat alone on the floor, back against the bed, staring into the empty quiet of her new room with clenched fists.

She was disgusted with herself.

She hated herself for feeling what she had just felt.

When Bruce had opened the doors to her room, she had actually been _excited_.

_Excited_.

Her parents were _dead_, and she had actually let herself become excited over something as stupid as a new room. Angry, hot tears filled her eyes as she grabbed a pillow off of her bed and threw it across the room.

How could she let that happen when her parents weren't there to share her excitement?

She broke into an angry sob. It was _not_ going to happen again.

**Well, that's that. I'm sorry if the description of the mansion was a little vague or it seemed sloppy. That was one of the parts that was giving me trouble, but in the upcoming chapters it will hopefully become clearer. Thanks a lot for reading and don't forget to REVIEW! =)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay! New chapter! Sorry this one took me so long. I was being really stubborn with how I worded everything and I had to keep revising... but anyway... I've noticed that when I put things in between scenes to indicate the scene change, like stars *** or dashes, it doesn't show up when I upload it on here. So I'm very sorry that, if you're reading and the scene suddenly changes, you get confused. I will do my best to make sure there is something that tells you there is a new scene. And if you still don't see one, please let me know. Thanks! Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**~Ani**

Bruce sat on the arm chair of his library, running a hand through his hair. He sighed.

This was going to be harder than he'd thought. He'd tried to talk to her, to relate to her, and he hadn't gotten a single reaction out of her. It was like she hadn't even acknowledged his effort.

"Troubled?" Alfred asked as he entered the room. He was carrying a tray of tea.

Bruce smiled and gratefully took the cup. Alfred always had the best timing. After a moment, he spoke.

"She won't even talk to me."

"That's to be expected," Alfred replied, setting the tray on the coffee table in front of Bruce's chair. "The poor girl's been through quite an ordeal. You must remember that we are strangers to her."

Bruce nodded. Once again, his butler had a point. But he didn't like being so uncertain. "What do I…do?" He asked.

Alfred sat down next to Bruce. "I wouldn't push her to do things. She'll talk when she's ready. The best you can do at the moment is to let her know that you're here for her."

"I will be." Bruce said with a new determinacy.

**~(A/N: Ok so the symbols apparently won't show up unless I put writing in between them. Sorry, I know it's annoying. SCENE CHANGE)~**

She stood in the middle of the street. Cars whizzed by her, not stopping or even slowing down to acknowledge her. Wind ripped her hair around her head as she recognized the next car speeding past. Horror filled her heart.

"No, stop!" She yelled as she ran after it. But she stopped dead when two blinding lights appeared. They slowly headed straight for the vehicle, and she heard deafening screeches from the tires of her parent's car. She covered her ears and desperately shut her eyes, but she still heard the dreaded, inevitable crash. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the bodies of her mother and father slumped over, cold and still. Tears flooded her vision. Suddenly, laughter filled her ears. Smoke swirled around her as a dark, disfigured shadow approached. The laughter echoed off the cliff walls as it came closer and closer. She screamed in terror.

Alaina's eyes shot open as the scream escaped from her mouth. She was in a cold sweat, tears falling from her eyes onto the pillow. She sat up, panting. She threw the blanket off of her and put her feet on the cold floor. Looking around, she panicked. The furniture cast mysterious shadows on the walls. Alaina tried to force her mind to be rational, but the fear was too great. She ran to the light switch and flicked it on.

Light filled the room, and she was relieved to see that she was alone. She sighed and leaned against the double doors, sliding down onto the floor.

That dream.

That nightmare was the one she'd been having for an entire week now. It had started at the hospital. She had hoped that once she got away from the place that reminded her so much of what happened the nightmare would dissipate. This was her first night at Wayne Manor, and apparently the vision didn't want to cooperate with her hopes. There had been something different about it tonight, though.

The laughter.

All the other times, the dream ended after the crash. This time, it had continued on to a shadowy figure, cruelly laughing and stalking in her direction, but she could not identify it. That was what was bothering her the most, as well as the clear picture of her parents' dead bodies slumped over in the front seat of the car.

She began to cry uncontrollably. It seemed that instead of going away, the nightmare would only become more and more terrifying.

**~SCENE CHANGE~**

Bruce heard the scream.

It was 4:30 a.m. and he had just come in from his nightly patrol of Gotham City as Batman. He'd been climbing the mansion stairs to go to his room and crawl into bed when he'd heard it. He stopped in front of her room when he noticed the light was on, leaking into the dark hallway by the crack underneath the doors. He didn't have to put his ear to the door to hear the sobs.

She was crying.

He ran a hand through his hair. She'd probably had a terrible nightmare. For a moment, he debated in his mind whether or not to go in and speak to her, but decided against it when he realized that he'd most likely have to explain why he was sweaty and dirty at this time of night. He sighed and slowly walked down the hall. As he entered his room and nearly dropped onto his bed, he tried to focus on sleep.

But he hadn't been focused all night. Scouring the city and taking out the occasional common criminal, his thoughts hadn't left the girl. He spent hours trying to figure out the best way to help her, to get her through this hard transition as easily as possible. But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed that it wasn't possible at all_. _There wasn't much he could do until she started to communicate with him… and who knows how long her phase of silence would last?

Another one of his worries was Batman. He couldn't hide it from her for long – not without her suspicion, and eventually she would find out, he had no doubt about that. There was no permanently hiding it from her, not while they lived in the same house. And when she did find out, she would be a target for danger. Despite his fatigue, he set his jaw in determination.

He would never let anything happen to her. He would guard her with his whole soul, heart, and mind.

**Please review, and I'm SO SORRY that I have to actually WRITE the words "scene change" for the symbols to show up. It's annoying and totally ruins the mood...I'll figure out something else to do for the next chapter, but for now, please bear with it. Thx, and don't forget to review!  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yay! New chapter up the next night! I'm moving the story along a little bit more... I hope you like this chapter and please let me know what you think. I've had no reviews for the last chapter yet... it makes me sad :( BUT - I am determined to continue on! Please let me know what you think about this one and also let me know if you can see the symbols for the scene change...**

**~Ani  
**

It was her third day at Wayne Manor, and Alaina had barely left her room. Bruce had tried numerous times to communicate, to relate to her, to help her come out of the vow of silence she seemed to have taken. But she'd merely glanced up at him and walked away, dismissing him as effortlessly as one dismisses an insolent child. The only one she'd seemed to take a small liking to was Alfred, which didn't surprise him one bit. It was impossible not to like Alfred. But she simply wouldn't cooperate with Bruce's attempts to bring her out of her shell. He was running out of ideas.

But Alfred didn't seem to be troubled about the situation at all. Every day, he'd bring a tray of food up to her room, smiling and talking to her. She never talked back, but she seemed to listen to every word. Today was no different.

When Alaina heard the gentle knock, she immediately opened the door. Alfred smiled at her as he walked in with a tray in his hands.

"It's a nice choice today," he told her, his voice kind and gentle. "Chicken marinara pasta, with mozzarella cheese. Salad as the side dish, of course." He set the tray on the small table stationed in front of the fireplace. "Hope you like it. Although, I do wish I knew your favorite dish. I would like to make it more enjoyable here for you."

Alaina merely glanced at the food.

"Still not hungry?" He asked. He shook his head with worry. "That's not healthy, Miss. I recall Master Bruce was just the same. Although after a while, his hunger got the best of him. I'll leave this here in case you want it later. I'll be back up with tea in a little while." Alfred began to walk out of the room.

"Thank you."

Alfred stopped, smiled, and turned back to her. Her voice was one of the best things he'd heard in a long time. It was like bells, just like her mother's.

Alaina had been feeling a little guilty. Alfred was being so kind to her, so helpful. He brought her meals to her all the time, even though he knew she wouldn't eat them, because he understood her. He understood her feelings and in the smallest ways, he helped to lift her spirit. She rather enjoyed his chatter when he came up to her room and he never expected anything from her in return for his kindness. She wanted to make sure he knew how much she appreciated everything. His kind, gentle smile made her blush.

He nodded his head. "You are most welcome, my dear." The look on his face was one of triumph and knowing, and it seemed that all he had wanted was to hear her voice. For the first time in what seemed like a very long time, she smiled. It was a very small smile, halfhearted, but it was a smile nonetheless. He turned to leave again.

"It's spaghetti…" She said. "My favorite food is spaghetti."

**~()~**

Bruce sat in the library, his feet resting on the coffee table, fully absorbed in a book he was reading on the technological advances in laughing gas. It was a new type of attack the Joker was using on his victims, and he wanted to be fully up to date on the chemical. Alfred stood on a small ladder used to reach books on the higher shelves, dusting off the bindings of several ancient-looking publications. He broke the silence.

"She spoke." He stated.

Bruce had barely heard the voice and lazily tore his gaze from the page. "What?" He asked.

"She spoke." He repeated, waving the feathers of the duster over the wooden ledge of the shelf. Bruce closed his book and sat upright.

"She did?" He asked. His face lit up.

"Yes," Alfred vaguely answered with a triumphant look on his face. Bruce smirked.

"Well what did she say?"

"She said 'thank you'. And she told me that her favorite food is spaghetti." Alfred replied.

Bruce smiled and sighed in relief. Although it was the most random thing for her to say after who knows how many days of total reservation, he was finally relieved of one of the things weighing on his shoulders. He was glad for her and hoped this would be the first step toward the healing process of her heart.

"I told you so," Alfred mocked. "All she needed was a little time and some kind gestures."

Bruce gave a small laugh. "You're always right, Alfred." He admitted, although the mock reluctance he tried to portray showed that he had no problem doing so. He sat back in his chair with new hope. Maybe this was the beginning of the end for her silence. Maybe he could finally start to slowly patch things up.

**Please Review! They make my day! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Hooray! Chapter 11! I hope you like this one! I know it's short, sorry, but I'm currently working on 12 so hopefully that'll make up for this being so short. Thank you for all the wonderful and encouraging reviews! Keep it up!**

**~Ani**

It was a gloomy, cloudy day. Alaina, Bruce, and Alfred stood on the grass, clad in black. People surrounded them, some Alaina recognized and others she didn't. All stood in silent mourning over the loss of their two friends, family members, and comrades. Many came up to her and offered their condolences, but she barely heard any of them. She had eyes only for the two caskets that were being lowered into the ground. Her parents were buried together underneath a willow tree in a cemetery inside the Central Gotham City Park. It was the very same tree that she claimed was the place she learned about gravity when she was climbing the willow and fell off of it – her father skillfully catching her before she'd hit the ground. But now that memory was being buried with the ones who'd been part of it.

~()~

Bruce was surprised at how calm she was being during the funeral. She was quiet and didn't even cry. After the initial speech, more people came by to offer their sympathies, and she bravely took it all with out even so much as a single tear. He knew what she must be going through on the inside, though – turmoil and anguish. But he soon became occupied by his colleagues' discussion, and when he turned back around, Alaina was gone.

It took him a while to find her, and when he finally did, she was standing on top of a small hill. A large oak tree stood tall in the middle of it. She stared up at the dark grey clouds in the sky, but looked down when he walked up behind her.

"It's fitting that they're buried under that tree." She said quietly after a moment, her voice filled with sorrow. Bruce noted that Alfred was right; her voice was just as pure as her mother's. "I have a memory of it…" She continued. "I was five years old, and I started climbing, but I fell... I remember the split-second fear of hitting the ground, but that never happened. My dad caught me…" Her voice began to quiver at this, but she fought to keep it under control. She still wouldn't face him. "They were so upset… I didn't mean to scare them…" Her arms remained at her sides, but she clenched her fists. She desperately shut her eyes as tight as she could, trying to stop the tears, but they were falling nonetheless. When she caught her breath, she spoke again. "It's not fair…"

Bruce swallowed. He stepped up next to her.

"They didn't deserve to die." She whispered.

"I know." He said. "Your mom and dad were good people. They were two of my closest friends." He placed a hand on her shoulder and she finally looked him in the eye. "Listen, Ally…"

The nick name came from somewhere in his memory and he knew he took a risk in using it. He was hoping that the air of familiarity that came with using a nick name would help her open up to him… But this seemed to be the wrong thing to do, because she gave him a dirty look, wiped the tears from her eyes and angrily shrugged him off. She left Bruce standing on the hill, mingling with his own thoughts as the rain began to pour.


	12. Chapter 12

**Yay! That was the hardest/longest case of writer's block I have ever had in my entire life, but I think I'm finally over it! I'm so sorry for the terrible wait, and I know this chapter is short but I wanted to upload SOMETHING. Please don't give up on me! I'm working on the next chapter as we speak! Thanks for reading and don't forget to REVIEW! **

**~Ani**

Bruce opened the front door to Wayne Manor. Alaina quickly entered and ignored Alfred's offer to take her coat. Bruce observed her body language; she was extremely tense and stiff. She wouldn't even look at him and it seemed she tried to forget his existence altogether. She began to angrily climb the first few steps of the grand staircase.

"What did I do?" Bruce called after her. Instead of ignoring him, Alaina stopped and swiftly turned on her heel to face him.

"You really have to ask?" She stated.

Bruce raised his hands and shrugged in a peaceful gesture. He actually did have an idea of what had made her so incensed at him, but he needed to keep that line of communication that she'd started at the funeral open. Besides, it would do her well to let out some of her anger, even at his expense.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Ally, I really don't know—"

"Don't call me that!" She yelled. "_Don't_ call me that!" She stalked up to him. "You have no right to call me that!"

Bruce looked confused.

"No right?" He asked.

"You don't even know me!" She raged.

"You're right. I don't." Bruce calmly replied. "But I'd like to."

She paused at his calm request.

"I know you're hurt." He said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "But I can help you. Please let me."

"No!" Yelled, violently shoving his hand off her shoulder. "Don't you get it? I don't _want_ to be here! I don't want your help!"

"I know how it feels to lose the people who are most important to you. If you just let me—"

"No!" She cut in. Tears welled up in her eyes, but her anger never lessened. "You don't know anything! Just leave me alone!" She whirled around and ran up the stairs.

~()~

Bruce watched until she disappeared down the upstairs hall, and it wasn't long until he heard the slam of her bedroom doors echoing throughout the mansion. He sighed and disquietly rubbed his eyes. That hadn't worked out the way he hoped it would, and now he was back at square one, trying to get her to merely acknowledge his existence. He had to get past this, somehow, some way…


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm back!**

**Sorry it took so long. But I have a legitimate excuse. When I first started this story, I had never experienced the loss of a loved one. Everything was pretty much from my imagination. But over the last 4 months, my grandfather died and now I know first hand what it feels like to lose someone close to you. So now maybe the content will be more real, more relateable to my readers. I really appreciate you guys sticking with me, and I love your reviews! Please keep them coming.**

**Enjoy,**

**~Ani**

~()~**  
**

Bruce opened the front door of his estate, sighing in relief. That had been one of the longest stock meetings he'd ever been in. It was a continuation of the same stock meeting he'd been going to when he'd got the call from Doctor Moreno about Alaina a few weeks before. He'd stalled the assembly after Alaina had moved into the mansion, at least until he was focused enough to handle his entire company's stocks… something he tried to put off as long as possible. But the day had inevitably come. It had been long and ended without much progress from the previous meeting. He hung up his coat, grabbed the mail off of the front coffee table where Alfred faithfully placed it every day, and sat heavily down on the nearest arm chair. Placing his dirty shoes where the mail had been (something that most definitely would _not_ have happened had Alfred been in the room), he began to scan the various envelopes. He came across a medical bill from the Gotham City Emergency Hospital and opened it, looking it over. His eyes went to the list of charges, all Alaina's treatments and procedures while she was in the hospital. He read the list intently.

An MRI, blood tests, various IV treatments, pain killers...

Pain killers?

He scanned farther down the page and found what he'd been trying to figure out since the day they'd brought her home: the injuries she'd acquired from the accident. Or rather, the settings and treatments for those injuries, and from that he could discern exactly what type of injury she had and how bad the damage was.

She had a major laceration on her right bicep that had required stitches, but they'd been removed before she left the hospital. Her right wrist had been badly sprained and a few ribs were bruised, but nothing was broken. It was amazing that she hadn't acquired anything terribly serious. No head trauma, no broken bones, and no internal damage.

He assumed they sent her home with the pain killers he was being charged for, and wondered how in the world she'd managed to hide all this, to not display any kind of reaction to the pain he knew she was constantly feeling. No wonder she was always pushing off his hand whenever he'd touched her shoulder. The pain of the laceration had probably traveled up into her shoulder muscles and the pressure must have been unbearable…

He knew from experience that injuries like that didn't heal overnight. It all had to be taking a toll on her. She probably thought that she could deal with it on her own. Bruce knew the façade of pretending she was alright wouldn't last. He had to help her, to get things straightened out.

He had to talk to her.

~()~

Alaina sat alone in her room, trembling from the pain racking through the length of both of her arms up into her shoulders. She didn't know how much longer she could take this.

She opened a bottle of medication she had been given at the hospital and quickly downed two pills. They usually began working within a fifteen minute time period, and after that the only time she felt pain was if she over-used her wrist or moved around too much. The past few days had been horrible. At the funeral, she'd received so many hugs and handshakes that her ribs felt even worse than they did at the hospital. Her wrist was beginning to swell from overuse, and she walked over to her vanity and picked up the brace that the doctor had given her. After securing it in place onto her wrist, she pulled the sleeve of her shirt over it. Most of the long-sleeved shirts she'd been wearing had been loose around the forearm, and she'd easily been able to hide the brace from the sight of Alfred and Bruce. But that was not the case now and the bulge on her arm made it quite obvious.

A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts, and she quickly pulled her sleeve down as far as it could go. She caught sight of the clock on the adjacent wall and realized that it was nearly time for lunch. Although her lack of appetite hadn't changed, Alfred still brought it to her every day. She quickly picked up a small blanket and held it in her right arm, covering the bulge, and went to her door. She casually opened it but instantly tensed when she realized the man behind it wasn't who she'd expected. It was the man she least wanted to see and the one she'd spent most of her time avoiding or ignoring. She fought the urge to slam the door back to its threshold.

"Hey," Bruce awkwardly greeted.

Alaina set her jaw. "What do you want?"

Bruce put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the door frame. He remained silent and glanced down at the blanket she was holding. It was directly over her right forearm. She was hiding her sprained wrist.

"Cold?" He asked.

"What's it to you?" She snippily replied.

Bruce tried to ignore her attitude. "I need to talk to you." He stepped into the room before she had the chance to reply and continued speaking. "…From what I've heard, the vehicle you were in was completely totaled. The pictures in the paper showed pieces of the car scattered everywhere."

Alaina's face hardened with angry, bitter feelings. "What's your point?" She asked harshly.

"I'm just saying that you couldn't have come away from something like that unscathed." Bruce said.

She crossed her arms through the blanket. "If you're asking if I was injured, they took care of it at the hospital."

"So you were hurt?" He asked, walking up to her.

"_Was_. I'm fine now." She figured that he was right: she couldn't have come away from that horrific accident completely unscathed, but it was none of his business whether she was still hurt.

"Really?" He asked sardonically and glanced down at the blanket again. She noticed this and took a step back.

"If that's all you came to talk to me about then we're finished." She stated, walking over to the open door. Bruce thought for a moment but finally nodded. She placed her hand on the door knob and opened the door a little farther, urging him to get out. He began to go through the door but accidentally-on-purpose bumped her shoulder with his arm on the way out.

She set her jaw and tightly closed her eyes for a moment, but quickly opened them up again and glared at him menacingly. She swallowed and slammed the bedroom door closed as hard as she could. Bruce flinched as the booming sound reiterated throughout the empty halls of the mansion.

~()~

He _knew_!

She hated him. She'd already decided that she hated him for many things, but now she hated him even more.

She lifted her arm and angrily threw the blanket across the room. But the anger turned to regret when searing pain went from her arm to her ribs. She stepped back, tripping onto her vanity chair. She clutched her middle from the pain of the impact but paused when she glimpsed her reflection in the mirror on the wall. Tears instantly began to fill her eyes.

Her eyes were red and swollen, and heavy dark circles loomed underneath. She'd lost a lot of weight from not eating, and she looked frail and fragile. Her hair was a tangled mess. But she was more disturbed when she saw sorrow etched in every feature of her reflection. Inside, she was in total disarray. She no longer found reasons to smile, to laugh; she was lonely and isolated. She had no motivation to do anything productive; everything she did was a dull routine that held no meaning or joy for her. Everything she did reminded her of the people who weren't there. The people who made her entire world… they had been cruelly stolen from her. She was angry and hurt and broken…

How did this happen?

How did she go from a happy teenager to a miserable, painful mess in merely a month?

A month… it had only been a month. But it seemed so much longer. It seemed a lifetime ago when she and her parents had last been together. The simple, small moments they'd often shared with one another where now only priceless visions in her memory. Her head and arms collapsed onto the vanity desk. Her exhausted form and aching heart cried out, with a dismal echo her only response.


	14. Chapter 14

**This has been written for quite some time, but I'm sorry to say that between the last update and this one, I have had another death in my family. My grandmother. Once again, I hope that this experience might make my story more realistic and relatable to my readers. I worked very hard on this, especially with it being so long, and I would appreciate some feedback. Hope you enjoy it.**

**~Ani  
**

**~()~**

Bruce sat down in the living room arm chair and once again placed his heavy shoes on the coffee table. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. That hadn't exactly gone well… at _all_…

Alfred walked into the room carrying a tray of tea and Bruce instantly put his feet back on the floor.

"Honestly, Master Bruce..." Came the disapproving voice.

"You weren't supposed to see that," Bruce told him with a teasing gleam in his eye. He then reached for his tea. "Oh, and we might need a new door for Alaina's room."

"What happened to the one she has?"

"I'm not sure. She slammed it so hard it could've cracked."

"Ah," Alfred said, sitting down in the armchair next to Bruce. "I'll have to put that on the list, then."

Bruce smirked, but went back to his tea. "She hates me." Alfred raised an eyebrow and he continued. "I got a medical bill from the hospital. She has injuries she never told me about. The doctor didn't even tell me. I went up to talk to her about it but she denied everything. But she was making it so obvious… she was covering up her sprained wrist by acting like she was holding a blanket." Ever since Batman came into existence, it hardly took him long to put the pieces together.

"What other injuries does she have?"

"A large laceration on her bicep that's not completely healed… they took the stitches out at the hospital but the pressure has traveled up into her shoulder. She also has some bruised ribs on each side. She's been taking pain medication but that'll run out sooner or later."

"Does she know you didn't believe her ruse?"

Bruce rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah…" he began. "I sort of… _showed_ her that I didn't believe her."

"Good heavens, you didn't hit her, did you?" Alfred asked, alarmed.

"No, of course not!" Bruce elaborated and the butler looked relieved. "I just bumped into her."

~()~

She shot up in bed, panting. She had that horrible nightmare once again. It always ended the same way, with haunting laughter in her ears and a disfigured shadow stalking toward her. She put her feet on the floor and wiped the stray tears from her eyes. She looked at the clock. It was 2:30 in the morning. She sighed, knowing from experience that there was no use trying to get back to sleep. She opened the double doors out to her personal balcony.

This happened almost every night. She was beginning to feel the effects of sleep deprivation. But no matter what she tried to think of before she went to sleep, she was still haunted. The shadow still remained unidentified, and it was bothering her more every time she saw it. She felt the breeze on her face and sighed, trying to release the emotional stress the nightmare had caused. But it wasn't working…

She went back inside and closed the doors as her stomach growled. She was a bit surprised, as she hadn't been truly hungry since the accident. She'd eaten a few things over the weeks, if only because she knew her body needed it. But now she was experiencing a feeling she hadn't had in a while, and only one thing was on her mind: _food_.

~()~

Bruce was starving as he finally closed his books and leaned back in his chair. He'd been studying most of the night, trying to figure out how he was going to expand the Wayne Enterprises budget to fit the needs of his already-expanding company. He was already late for his patrol as Batman and decided that he would just grab something from the kitchen before he headed down to the cave.

He trudged down the stairs and made his way through the house. When he got to the kitchen he flicked on the light and was surprised to see Alaina standing in her bathrobe with her hand on the refrigerator handle and a cinnamon role halfway stuffed into her mouth.

"What are you doing down here?" He asked. It was well into the early hours of the morning… she was usually sleeping around this time.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, not at all happy to be around him.

"Hungry?" He asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. This was the first time he'd seen her voluntarily eating. She rolled her eyes and opened up the fridge, ignoring him. "Glad to see your appetite's improved." He mumbled with a hint of sarcasm. He grabbed a cup from the cabinet and set it on the island counter. He hesitated a moment before he spoke again.

"How's your arm?" He asked, leaning on the counter top. He felt a little bad about bumping it earlier. He wanted to make sure she was okay. But upon hearing this, she immediately slammed the fridge door closed and began stalking back through the house and upstairs as the refrigerator contents clattered together.

~()~

Later that afternoon, Alaina sat at the table in her room, eating from the lunch tray that Alfred had recently brought up. She forgot how much she loved food and was quite enjoying herself. She was also thinking about what had happened over the night. She knew Bruce was up to something. He'd come into the kitchen dressed as if he hadn't been planning on going back to bed, and he was far too awake, considering the early hour of the morning. Where _was_ he going? It was bugging her to no end…

She jumped as she heard a loud sound coming from the corner of the room. She relaxed a little when she realized it was her cell phone ringing. But she was confused… the mobile company had cut the contract. Her phone had been turned off a few weeks earlier when they'd found out the people who's names were on the agreement were deceased. The bill hadn't been paid for at least a month and a half… She ran to her vanity and quickly picked it up without looking at the identification of the caller.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Ally? Oh my God, where have you _been_?" A voice asked.

"Madison?" She asked, disbelief filling her voice.

"I've been trying to call you ever since I found out about everything. You haven't been at school and I tried going to your house but it was foreclosed!"

"What…" Alaina tried. "I…" She was beginning to choke up.

"Oh Ally… I'm _so_ _sorry_."

Alaina took a deep breath. Tears streamed down her face.

The two conversed for the next hour. It was an enormous relief for Alaina. She had nearly forgotten her best friend, her total confidante. But now they were connected again. They cried together as Alaina told the story of her life over the past month, from the accident down to the horrible nightmares, and they laughed together as they recalled many happy occasions and memories of the family that warmed their hearts. It was as if a small weight had been lifted off of her immensely heavy heart.

"I really miss you." Madison stated.

"I miss you too."

"Then why don't you meet up with us tonight? There's a big group going the new dance club that opened down town!"

"No, I can't." Alaina said. "It's just… too soon."

"Ally, you _need_ this. It's been long enough. You can't just stay cooped up in there for the rest of your life without social contact!" Madison countered.

Alaina hesitated. She had a point…

"It'll be good for you. You need some fresh air."

"…Alright."

"Great! Meet us there at nine!"

After dinner (graciously brought to her room by Alfred) it took Alaina nearly two hours to pick her outfit for the evening. She searched through her limited wardrobe. She didn't really have any specific "party" clothes, and she'd never been to dance club before. She was a little wayward about going to an actual _club_, where most people got drunk and did drugs, most of which cases led to more inappropriate conduct. But how bad could a club really be if it let in teenagers? She quickly dismissed the feeling. Maybe she was just being paranoid. Madison was right; she'd been cooped up inside for far too long. When she'd finally put together an appropriate clubbing outfit, she went down the stairs with the intention of ignoring whomever she passed as she made her way through the house and to the front door.

~()~

Bruce looked up from his reading when he heard footsteps coming down the mansion stairs, and his jaw nearly dropped at what he saw. Alaina emerged from the staircase wearing a short jean miniskirt, tight leggings and a curve hugging, v-neck long sleeved shirt. She adorned a cropped coat and black, high-heeled boots. She glared at him before strutting through the room, but he stood.

"Where are you going?" He asked, surprised.

"Out." She answered curtly without stopping.

"Wait a minute," he sad, walking after her. "It's already nine o'clock at night. Where are you going?"

"Are you deaf? I said I'm going out!" She snapped.

"To do what?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business." She replied as they entered the main entry room. She turned around to face him.

"Hate to break it to you, but it is my business." She rolled her eyes at this statement but he continued. "Look, I don't have a problem with you going out with your friends, but not at nine o'clock at night and _not_ dressed like that."

"Why not?" She said. It was more of a challenge than a question, but Bruce had no problem meeting her glare with one of his own.

"First, you didn't even tell me where you were going."

"So?"

Bruce ignored this and continued. "How were you planning to get there?"

"It's called a taxi." She stated. "Ever heard of it?"

Bruce shook his head as he struggled to keep his temper. She was getting the best of him with her attitude, but he tried to reason with her. "Gotham City is extremely dangerous after dark. Look at you! You're dressed like you're going to a club. There are a lot of criminals and gangs down town, all people who wouldn't hesitate to hurt you."

She scoffed at his statement. "Give me a break! I'm leaving!" She turned swiftly on her heel and had nearly reached the front door when his voice rang out.

"Alaina Celine!"

She froze. That tone… it was all too familiar to her. The name and the tone sent memories rushing through her mind. Her father had used that tone with her a few times before. Was her mind playing tricks on her or… did it actually _sound_ like him? She spun around, but she only saw Bruce standing before her.

Her middle name, just like her nickname, had come from somewhere in his memory and he recalled using it on her once when she was little. It had gotten her attention then and it did the same now. He was staring at her with a stern expression, suddenly much taller than she remembered him being a moment ago. She felt small under his stare and looked away for a moment, but she locked eyes with him again as she angrily stepped toward him.

"How _dare_ you." She said, although her voice was considerably lower than it had been a moment ago.

Bruce lowered his voice as well and spoke with a stern tone. "I'm trying to protect you. Gotham is dangerous_._ You shouldn't be going out on your own."

Alaina shook her head. "You are _not_ my father."

Bruce was a bit stunned at this statement. He remained silent, and Alaina turned. "Alaina!" He shouted, but she walked out the front door, angrily slamming it on her way out. Bruce cursed as he crisply ran a hand through his hair.

"What in the world was that about?" Alfred asked as he entered the room.

"I told you: she hates me." Bruce replied and began striding through the house with Alfred following.

"Where on earth was she going? Where are _you_ going?" Alfred asked again as Bruce entered the main study of the mansion. He pressed a sequence of keys on the grand piano, and a nearby display case detached itself from the adjacent shelves and slid aside, revealing a stairwell descending into the wall.

"I'm going after her."

**PLEEEEEESE Review! **


	15. Chapter 15

**You might want to go back and review a little, since it's been, um... *clears throat guiltily* QUITE a while.**

**...Please don't kill me... HERE ACCEPT THIS VERY LONG CHAPTER AS A PEACE OFFERING!  
**

**~Ani  
**

**~()~  
**

In the back seat of a taxicab swerving its way through late-night Gotham City traffic, Alaina sat with her arms crossed, fuming. She couldn't believe the way Bruce was treating her; like some child that couldn't go anywhere without adult supervision. Who did he think he was, her father?

Her anger swelled even more. If he thought he could replace her father, he was dead wrong. And if he expected her to just fall in line, he had another thing coming.

"Hey kid," rang a voice. She was snapped out of her thoughts as the taxi pulled to a stop. "We're here." She slapped the money into the drivers open hand and stepped out of the cab. The car sped away and she looked up at the structures before her. The building was long and glowing. Neon signs lit the night sky with flashing colors, spelling out the name of the club. Cold and suddenly feeling alone, she closed her jacket tightly around her and walked through the parking lot.

"Ally!"

She looked up and saw Madison waving at her. Alaina managed a small smile as her friend hugged her. "Hey."

"I'm so glad you made it! I want you to come meet some people." Madison linked arms with her and led the way to a group of people gathered near the entrance. Alaina was troubled by her mere casual greeting after so long, but forced herself to pay attention as Madison began introducing the group, pointing with her finger at each one as she said their name. "This is Mark, Jordan, Mandy, Aaron, and Derek."

The boys waved and the girl gave her a small smile. The last one, Derek, nodded at her. But they didn't seem to notice her after that, except, she uncomfortably noticed, Derek's occasional prying eye. But she stayed near Madison and followed them into the building as the attendant outside the door nodded.

Her head instantly pounded with the booming music and flashing strobe lights. The floor was packed with people dancing and drinking. The base from the drums vibrated off the walls.

Alaina was a bit taken aback. After everything that she'd been through, Madison had only given her a casual greeting, like nothing was wrong. Like the conversation they'd had earlier that afternoon had never happened. But as Madison continued to pull her through the crowd and finally to an empty table, she tried to dismiss the thoughts from her mind. Madison set her things down to reserve the table and then looked mischievously at Alaina.

"What?" Alaina asked, annoyed by the ear-drumming noise around her.

"Want to get a drink?" Madison asked.

"What like a soda?"

Madison shook her head. "The bar's over there." She pointed and Alaina's gaze went across the room at a mass of people crowded around a long table. She turned back to Madison.

"You told me this was a _teen_ club."

"Honestly Ally; I had to say something to get you to come out of that house! You wouldn't have come otherwise."

"Gee, thanks for the concern." Alaina sardonically replied.

"Oh come on!" Madison said, waving her hand in dismissal of any guilt. "You needed to get out. Besides, it doesn't hurt to have a little fun. Want Derek to get you something?" She pointed to the guy already at the bar counter.

Alaina shook her head in anger. "No."

Madison rolled her eyes. "Would you relax? It's not like we're going to get caught. Come on." She grabbed her friends' hand and led her to an empty stool next to Derek. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

Alaina opened her mouth to protest but Madison had turned before she could say anything. _Great,_ she thought. She already didn't like Derek and the way he kept staring at her. There was something about him that gave her a bad feeling, and being this close to him didn't help. Aware of his eyes on her, she finally looked at him and gave him a fake smile.

He noticed it and smirked. "Oh come on," he said as the bartender handed him a full beer bottle. "I'm not that bad."

"Is that right?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

He scooted closer to her. "Well… not _usually_." Despite her dislike of him, this made her chuckle. He smirked again. "So… you want a drink or something?"

"No, not really."

"Really?" He asked, incredulous of her answer. "Is that how it's going to be?"

"What?"

He rolled his eyes. "The 'Good Girl' act, right? Let me guess: you don't drink, don't smoke, oh and uh, no…" -he raised his eyebrows suggestively- "_mischievous_ conduct." As he spoke he moved closer to her. Feeling uneasy, she noticed it and looked down.

"Preferably not," She replied in a lower tone. She lifted her eyes and scanned the crowd, searching for Madison. Derek took a swig of his beer.

"We'll have to fix that, won't we?" He was close now, far too close for her comfort. When their eyes locked, there was a glint of something in his that she didn't like. She suddenly realized that she was letting this guy intimidate her. She narrowed her eyes at him, sending him a glare. He moved back a bit at that and she shouldered her bag, standing. "Wait!" He called before she took more than a few steps. She turned back to him. "Look, I'm kind of drunk and I'm a jerk. I'm sorry."

"Whatever." She replied and continued through the crowd, trying to guess where the door had been. As she pushed her way past the crowd and tried to blot out the pounding music that was growing louder with each step, she spotted Madison among a group of girls. Madison saw her coming and excused herself from the circle.

"What's up?" She asked, clearly confused at the look on her friend's face and shouting to be heard over the music.

"I'm out of here." She told her. The reaction Madison had was not what Alaina would have expected.

"Okay. See you later! Call me!"

With that, the red-head turned back to the social circle. Alaina shook her head in disbelief. Some loyal friend she was. As she fumbled through the crowd and passed the bar, a hand grabbed her arm. She instinctively pulled but her arm didn't move and she looked, only to find that Derek had been the one to grab her. He looked even more drunk than he did before.

"Let go!" She yelled.

"Come on, baby. Why don't you and I get out of here? I know a place-"

"Get off me!" She didn't let him finish his sentence before she used both her hands and slid out of his grip. Without another glance at him, she sauntered toward the exit that was finally in her sight.

~()~

Outside, the air was thin and silent, a complete contrast to the environment inside. Her pounding head welcomed the quiet and she took a deep breath. That was definitely not the experience she wanted it to be. Her first outing after the accident did not help her feel better as she'd hoped. All she felt was that she wasted her time. And she felt a little freaked from that encounter with Derek. He was definitely one to watch out for…

The night was cold and her breath came out in little puffs. She looked around for a taxi but noticed for the first time that the streets were empty. She suddenly realized how dark it was; heard unwelcoming noises in the distance. The street lights flickered and somewhere a few cats were having quite the argument. There were no cars lighting the roadway and the people she'd spotted walking earlier had disappeared into the darkness. The sinking feeling in her gut made her realize that Bruce knew what he'd been talking about. She recalled the words she'd tried to ignore before.

_There are a lot of criminals and gangs down town, all people who wouldn't hesitate to hurt you._

_Great_, she thought. She zipped up her jacket, trying to cover as much of herself as possible, and began hesitantly walking. She made up her mind to take the first taxi she saw. She tried to think about something other than what could be lurking in the darkness ahead of her. Her thoughts drifted the Derek. To start with, he was a rude, arrogant jerk. He'd tried to intimidate her into doing something tonight, and deep down, she knew what it was. It was the same thing she'd seen in his eyes. His entrancing dark brown eyes… when she'd looked into them when they were so close, she'd froze for the slightest moment. His eyes had almost made her want to give in to his plea. She shook the thought from her mind.

His eyes may be attractive, but the rest of him certainly was not.

She focused back on the street and nearly jumped when she saw two men walking toward her on the opposite side of the street. Taking a deep breath, she told herself not to panic. They were probably just walking home like she was. She tried to look like she hadn't noticed them. As they drew nearer, she saw one elbowing the other out of the corner of her eye.

~()~

Batman stood high on the rooftops of Gotham, crouching in the shadows as he watched a girl below. It had taken a bit longer than usual to find her; there were many night clubs in Gotham that she could easily get into as a teen. Not legally, but it happened more often than not. It took some time for him to figure out which one she was headed to, but he found it and arrived at the same time as her taxicab. They didn't call him "The World's Greatest Detective" for nothing.

He didn't bother stopping her when she went in. He admitted that he didn't know the girl that well, but he'd known her parents. If she'd paid any attention to the way they raised her, the night club scene wouldn't suit her well. She'd be out of there soon enough, and then he could make sure she safely made it home. He hadn't waited long at all when he saw her emerge from the building. She paused to look around and he smirked with satisfaction, watching her realize he was right. His expression turned serious again when he saw she decided to walk. _Stupid girl…_

He sighed and rose to his feet. He began walking along the shadows of the roof tops, following her. This was ridiculous. He was the _Batman_ for crying out loud! He had better things to do than follow a rebellious teenager on her quest to ruin his life. He paused and took a deep breath to calm his temper. She wasn't really rebellious, she'd shown that the second she walked out of the club. And she wasn't really trying to ruin his life. She was just angry, and the only thing she was able to use as an outlet was he himself. It was something he'd realized the second she spoke to him at her parents' funeral. She didn't have another outlet, and Bruce wanted it to be him rather than some dreadful act of self-harm that wouldn't help anyway. He knew it would be too easy to turn to that, he'd done so himself when his parents had died. But it didn't last long- it was once before Alfred found out, and his reaction had _not_ been pleasant. Needless to say, the boy never did it again. He realized she was braver than he gave her credit for – she didn't take the easy way out.

He suddenly shook the thoughts out of his head. Bruce Wayne could contemplate the subjects of his personal life later. Right now, Batman would do his job; he was protecting another citizen of Gotham City. He was snapped out of the last of his musings when he heard her scream.

~()~

Alaina hardly knew what happened. One moment she was walking, minding her own business, lost in her thoughts as she trudged along the road; the next she was running from two passersby who decided to come after her. It was the two men she'd kept an eye on before, but lost sight of them when they passed her without stopping. She figured the danger was over and let herself relax a little when a hand grabbed her wrist. It startled her and she gave a scream of surprise before the man put a hand over her mouth. He started to pull her backwards, to where, she didn't know. Panic surged through her and she tried to think quickly. It was hard to move with the way they were dragging her, but she forced her elbows into the man's ribs with as much strength she could muster. The adrenaline helped and he let go, letting out a yelp. She turned and ran as fast as she could. She wasn't exactly sure where she was going but when she heard the footsteps behind her, she knew she couldn't stop. She turned a corner in the street but was forced to a halt.

"Oh no!" She cried. She'd turned into a dead-end alleyway. She gasped when she looked behind her. The men had followed her and both of them seemed to snicker at her mistake.

"Oh yeah, turn down the alley, that'll work." The second one said, amused. They were close now, and the first man thrust out his hand and pulled her bag off of her. He busied himself shuffling through it while the second man continued to step toward her.

"Nothing in here," he said to his companion, soundly oddly disappointed.

"Well then…" The other stated, drawing even closer. "Let's see what else we can get from her." She backed up until she hit the wall and screamed again. Panic was beginning to cloud her thinking. She wanted to strike out, to resist, but with her injuries and the strength of these men… there wasn't much she could do. If there was only one, maybe; but not two. She attempted to run around them, but they both caught her and threw her back into the wall. A shriek of pain escaped her mouth and she threw her arms up in an effort to protect herself as one pinned her to the concrete bricks.

The man's grip was suddenly ripped off of her and she was jerked to the right so hard that she fell onto the ground. She lifted her head to see the two men fighting with a dark figure. She couldn't see very well through the shadows and the tears in her eyes, but by the looks of it, the new man was winning. She watched as each blow they tried to inflict on him only ended up back in their faces. In a minute they were both on the ground, unconscious. The silence was strange to her ears as she hesitantly stood, and the figure turned to her.

"Are you alright?"

The deep, unfriendly voice made her cringe. As he took a few steps toward her, all she saw was a dark disfigured shadow stalking in her direction and let out a scream of terror as she shuffled to get away, falling against the wall again.

The head of the figure turned when sirens were heard and red lights started to flash. Batman made quick use of his grappling hook and launched into the air, disappearing into the darkening night. When the police entered the alley, they discovered a shaking, panting, terrified girl sitting at the back with two unmoving men slumped on the ground in front of her.

**~()~**

**Okie dokie so... I'M SORRY! Please don't kill me! But you can yell if you want. In fact, that might actually help, lol! I swear that it took me this entire time to get over my writer's block. But it's over now, and I can move on with this story and never leave you hanging for so long ever again! Please don't give up on this story, it's my favorite one and all of your support means so much to me! Needless to say, that means you should REVIEW! Tell me what you thought of this chapter. Or just yell at me. Either way, press the button and have at it! Thanks!  
**

**~Ani**


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